1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a method and system to measure the audience and their engagement with the out-of-home media, based on the automatic measurement for behavior patterns and demographics of the people in the vicinity of the plurality of out-of-home media in a digital media network.
2. Background of the Invention
There have been prior attempts at audience measurement. None of them have attempted to use automated vision based technology. The relevant patent numbers are U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,548, U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,159, U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,522, U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,307, U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,928, U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,122, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,338.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,548 of Lu, et al. (hereinafter Lu U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,548) disclosed an audience measurement system, using radio frequency. The audience measurement system identifies a program, which is broadcasted from a signal source and to which a receiver is tuned. The members of the audience carry a device that receives ancillary signals broadcasted with the program/channel. The device receives and records the viewing patterns of the monitored audience.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,159 of Weinblatt, et al. (hereinafter Weinblatt) disclosed an audience surveying technique for identifying individual members of an audience listening to and/or watching a program broadcasted from a programming signal source. A stationary apparatus is operatively arranged at a reception location with a plurality of portable devices designed to be worn by the audience members. The stationary apparatus detects and stores a surveying code transmitted with the program, and it also periodically emits a trigger signal, which causes the portable devices to respond by emitting a unique identification signal pre-stored in each apparatus. The stationary apparatus also detects and stores the identification signals. By associating the detected surveying code with the detected identification signals, it is possible to quickly, accurately, and reliably identify the individual audience members tuned to a particular program.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,522 of Hampton, et al. (hereinafter Hampton) disclosed a billboard consumption measurement system for measuring exposure to a visual display such as a billboard. A transmitter that is proximate to the billboard broadcasts a data signal that carries information relating to the billboard. This information may identify the location of the billboard, the message displayed by the billboard, and time of day. The data signal is provided at a power level that is adapted to reach a predefined exposure area within which the billboard can be viewed. A portable receiving device is provided to a defined consumer population to measure the exposure of the consumers to the billboards. The receiving device may be carried or worn by the consumer, or carried in the consumer's vehicle. The receiving device is adapted to recover the data signal and store the information relating to the billboard when the viewer is within the predefined exposure area. The time of day and duration of the exposure may also be recorded. The recorded information is subsequently downloaded for processing by a central processing facility, e.g., via a telephone line or computer link.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,122 of Keene, et al. (hereinafter Keene) disclosed an in-station method and apparatus for encoding television programs, including commercials, with a digital identification code. The system aims to provide proof-of-play for programs and commercials broadcasted on television.
The above-mentioned methods and systems have one fundamental difference from our system—they measure the people carrying the measurement devices, whereas the present invention measures anyone coming into the vicinity of the media. Their sampling process is inefficient, and prone to error. The measurement provided by such systems is only as good as the panel of people carrying the device. If there are biases in the sample, then the final measurement will be skewed. By measuring every audience member present within an area, our system removes all these inaccuracies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,307 of Lu, et al. (hereinafter Lu U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,307) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,928 of Lu, et al. (hereinafter Lu U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,928) disclosed an audience measurement system and method for television audience. Through the use of a passive identification apparatus for identifying a predetermined individual member of a television viewing audience in a monitored viewing area, a video image of a monitored viewing area is captured. The system attempts to identify particular members of the audience using facial recognition techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,338 of Ramaswamy, et al. (hereinafter Ramaswamy) disclosed methods and apparatus to count people appearing in an image.
The above-mentioned patents describe the technical process of identifying and counting individual members of a television audience. Unlike these processes, which are focused on television, our process adapts the technology for out-of-home audience measurement. The present invention counts every individual and categorizes him or her into broad segments. The present invention also combines this data with other data streams, such as geo-demographic data, sales data, etc., to provide more detailed and accurate measurement.